news & events

The fifth installment of the annual "Homebrewed History" series will take place March 25, 2017 from 2-4PM at the Old Stone House.

This year’s event will focus on the "Reinheitsgebot" - also known as the German Beer Purity Law of 1516. The Bavarian law regulated prices for the sale of beers, and specified what ingredients were permitted in beer brewing. Attendees will learn about the historical background of late-medieval German states, the reasons for the law, its evolution over time, and its influence on German beers today.

Participants will watch demonstrations of the brewing process and sample beers made from period-authentic recipes. Light hors d'oeuvres will also be served. Beers will be a Kolsch and... a Triple Dunkel, both brewed by SRU assistant professor of metalsmithing Sean Macmillan. Macmillan, an experienced homebrewer, will discuss the brewing process and the origins of the historically-authentic recipes used for the event.

This spring’s program is the fifth in the center’s “Homebrewed History” series. Each event in the series focuses on a different historical culture – past themes have included Ancient Greece, Colonial America, and the British Empire. "The series has been a great success," said Aaron Cowan, SRU associate professor of history and director of the Stone House Center for Public Humanities. "Each event has drawn history buffs and the homebrewing crowd alike. Food and drink are tangible, engaging ways for people to interact with and learn about the past."